BJJ and the Cycle of Action

You didn't think Helio rolled competitively every day did you?

BJJ works, but that of course goes both ways.

When I’m rolling competitively I'm always initiating attacks. Always. It might feel like I'm just laying on you in side mount or just holding your head in my guard but believe me I'm actively working to kill your arms in the former and rocking your balance (kuzushi) in the latter to initiate a flower sweep or a back take. At the very least, I'm working to create a posture deficit to my advantage. This is something I've worked hard to develop over the past few years. To me, this is one of the strongest links between BJJ and MMA*.

But as I said above, this goes both ways. The other person is doing the same thing. They are constantly defending and negating my actions, trying to set up their own. This places the following three sets of demands on you:

Mental: As Saulo says in this clip, the only thing that differentiates us on the mat is the heart, and for this style of BJJ you need a huge heart. It's not easy. You're constantly working. Constantly flowing. Constantly in the moment.

Technical: You need to know your techniques inside and out. If your takedowns are getting stuffed and your passes ending with you getting swept then you will eventually stop doing them or at least hesitate to initiate them. Your momentum will be turned against you and you will start freezing.

Physical: I put this last because even though I acknowledge that BJJ, MMA or any combat sport places physical demands on you (strength, cardio, balance...etc.) these can never overshadow technical knowledge and having a big heart.

Start today. Grab a piece of paper and write down three attacks from each position you know and work out how to link them. The next time you roll competitively**, start from one of those positions and just machine-gun those 3 attacks in succession at your partner and watch your progress rocket***! Speed is not essential. Technical knowledge, heart and flow are.

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*Martyn, our coach at the LABS - FIGHTING FIT MANCHESTER, has always kept the MMA mindset with us. He couldn't care less if we ever compete (whether in gi-jiu jitsu, submission wrestling or MMA) or if we are just training for fun or self-defence. To him, you always keep to the positional strategy and hierarchy of BJJ.
**I don’t roll competitively often at all. I do it every week or two just to stay sharp and more nearer *the rare) competitions.

***Roy Harris wrote a classic article on Progress in Jiu Jitsu and the different belts.


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BJJ Tips: Escaping the mounted position

Stuck?

In his fantastic book : Jiu-jitsu University: The Daddy of BJJ books!, Saulo Ribeiro tells a story about his meeting with Helio Gracie. The short of it is: Helio told Saulo that irrespective of the latter’s athletic ability and youth he (Saulo) wouldn’t be able to defeat Helio. Helio didn’t say that he could defeat Saulo: Only that he wouldn’t be defeated. Helio was confident that he would survive!

Before you start looking at escaping from side control (or any position for that matter) ask yourself if you are doing all you need to do to survive in the position:

Are you stopping him from anchoring his weight to you with his arms?
Are you stopping him from controlling your neck?
Are you stopping him from controlling your nearside arm?
Are you stopping him from controlling your farside arm?
Are you stopping him from controlling your hips?

Once you have answered yes to these questions, you should find yourself in a position where you can start bridging and creating space between you and your partner (the most important component of escapes). Follow that bridge with a good shrimping motion to connect your nearside elbow and knee and your more than half way to Freeville!

If you want a better (much!) description and more, I highly recommend Saulo’s book and, of course, all his DVDs. In the meantime, feast your eyes on this backdoor escape from the technical mount that I've been working on for a couple of months. It's demonstrated here by a hero of mine Mr Roy Harris with a much younger Mr Roy Dean/




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ZHOO ZHITSU IS FOR EVERYONE!

Liam "The Part Time Grappler" Wandi

Proudly sponsored by Predator Fightwear: Built for the kill and Brutal TShirt: Made By Grapplers For Fighters

BJJ DVD: Brown Belt Requirements Review - Roy Dean hits another home-run

As I promised here, this is my review of Roy Dean's latest volume: Brown Belt Requirements.


"After all, this is your personal expression"

The music-lead voice of Roy Dean introduces this giant volume. The brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is quite an advanced rank and rolling with a solid brown belt is quite a humbling experience and that's exactly the feeling you get from watching the 3 minute flow of techniques that starts off this DVD: humbled. Humbled by the skill of presentation but also by the amount of effort and production quality that Roy invested in this product. We are treated to a variety of Roy's personal expressions of the usual techniques of jiu jitsu. Triangles, chokes, sweeps, leg locks and armbars are not just performed, they are expressed.

Roy doesn’t instruct as much in this volume. Rather, he shares. He shares his (and in some cases his instructor’s Mr Roy Harris’) experiences and expectations for the brown belt. I have tried to outline my review to reflect this.

What's the difference between a purple belt and a brown belt in BJJ?

LV Brown / Black Belt Requirements? Money!

I've recently received Roy Dean's fantastic new product "The Brown Belt Requirements". I'm currently in the process of writing a review but if you are impatient, feel free to check out Slidey's take on it here. I agree with a lot in it (not all) and it's a very thorough review so I highly recommend it.  

One thing that really struck me in it is how narrow and focused the BJJ game becomes at the brown belt level. I've always known that from other fields that the more advanced you become the more focused and laser-sharp your details become, but the level required here for a brown belt is something I've never witnessed before in other fields.

Brown belts are required to shift their focus from effectiveness* to efficiency. It's no longer good enough to be able to beat someone (or escape their attack) but you must also be doing it efficiently. If you are unsure what this means, I remind you of Dr Jigoro Kano's words: 

"Minimum effort, maximum output"**

The way this translates to day-to-day training and rolling is

You are NOT Andre Galvao nor Rodolfo Vieira: But these two matches are beautiful!

Andre Galvao vs Rodolfo Vieira. Two awesome BJJ practitioners. Top level artists and athletes. Very few should emulate them.

What? Who am I to say this? I'm a nobody. I'm a very ordinary purple belt who trains part time. I do not have the time (nor the desire) to reach the heights of BJJ, No Gi submission wrestling or MMA achievement that these fine specimen have reached and that's exactly why I shouldn't emulate how they behaved in this fantastic match at the Abu Dhabi World Pro Jiu Jitsu absolute finals:



One of the best things I learned in BJJ is from 4th degree black belt Roy Harris. In one of his fantastic instructionals he explained that in BJJ there are rules and:

As a beginner you learn the rules and you obey them
As in intermediate grappler you start breaking the rules and learning from that
As an advanced grappler, there are no rules

Similarly, Matt Thornton once wrote that in BJJ, there are no rules, only warnings.

If you try to do what Andre and Rodolfo do in the match above, you will get the living crap swept, passed, mounted and submitted out of you. You won't be able to make it work (if you are anything like me and let's face it, the absolute majority of us are not of their calibre).

They hardly ever establish positions. They are basically playing chess on speed. I'm not saying it's sloppy, because it really isn't. I'm saying if I tried to play the way they play I would make it look sloppy. I would look like an idiot and I would probably injure myself and my training partners (or at least really piss them off) and I wouldn't (here is the important one) learn anything of value.

As a beginner (and 6-7 years of part time training into BJJ I am most definitely a beginner) I am still working hard at learning and obeying the rules of grappling. I always work for the underhook before I attempt passing half guard. I keep my elbows close to my ribs* when in guard in fear of getting arm dragged or arm barred. Unlike Mr Galvao, my awareness level is still developing and I do NOT see the arm bar a mile off like he does.

While the above match is fantastic and great, I still don't think it's better** than the one they had a few years back (the ADCC 2009 Brazilian Trials), this time NoGi. As you all know, I'm more of a gi fan but great grappling is great grappling and this one has one of the most beautiful back takes in the history of back takes! I hope you enjoy it.



*Yes I admit that I toy with giving my arm sometimes from inside closed guard to encourage my partner to go for the armbar so I can pass but that's not my core game. That's something I experiment with sometimes.

**except for the throw. Dang it that was a beautiful throw. I'm sure Seagal invented it though!
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Liam "The Part Time Grappler" Wandi

Proudly sponsored by Predator Fightwear: Built for the kill and Brutal TShirt: Made By Grapplers For Fighters

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BJJ / Grappling Tips: Mount Escape to Heel Hook

I saw this as an extra on one of Roy Harris' BJJ VHS (oh yeah, back in the day!) instructionals. Heel hooks may or may not be part of your game but that doesn't mean you can't take advantage of this transition. It opens doors and presents you with options from an otherwise rubbish place to be (at the bottom of the mount)

 

 Obviously, I'm not suggesting that you seek out mount bottom. As far as the positional heirarchy of BJJ, Mount Bottom really sucks. However, when life hands you lemons...

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Liam "The Part Time Grappler" Wandi

Proudly sponsored by Predator Fightwear: Built for the kill and Brutal TShirt: Made By Grapplers For Fighters

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BJJ Technique: What makes a BJJ technique?

We hear sometimes that Brazilian or Gracie Jiu Jitsu has hundreds of techniques*. But what constitutes a BJJ technique? If you lift the hood on a sweep, a submission or even a positional escape what do you see?

Having done some research into what different black belts think** I propose the following components to a jiu jitsu technique:

• Placement and Positioning
• Mechanics
• Attributes
• Timing

Or PPMAT

Placement & Positioning: in Brazilian jiu jitsu, placement (your head and limbs) and Positioning (your body and angle) is not just where you put your grips, feet, head, limbs and hips, but also how you place them in relation to those of your opponent. Grappling is not a solo performance. My opponent could have the best P&P to do a butterfly sweep, kimura submission or armbar from closed guard but if I change my own P&P I could potentially ruin his set-up and technique. Learning as much as you can about optimal placement and positioning, both in offence and defence, will help you gain the most leverage when grappling.

Mechanics: when it comes to mechanics, Roy Harris is king! I remember reading an interview with August Wallén, BJJ black belt under Mr Harris and head of Shooters MMA amongst many other accomplishments, where he was talking about his influences and he brought up how Roy changed his view of the game to another technical level.

me and Mr Roy Harris after one of his seminars in Gothenburg, Sweden hosted by August. That's a Karate blue belt (and gi) so we're talking ol' skool!

BJJ / Grappling Tips: How To Learn BJJ Faster?

For some reason, everything sounded muffled to Randy

I once read in a great little book that we spend 80% of our day communicating, half of which is spent listening. As you all know, there are many facets to communication: Listening, talking, reading, writing, gesturing, interpreting...etc. Here is a simple model of communication I once used here on the blog

Feeling - Thought - Idea - Formulation - Expression - Impression - Interpretation - Assimilation


The same book highlighted how strange it was that the first thing we are taught in school is writing. Often followed by reading. The subject of talking is sometimes touched upon and listening, well, I don't think I've ever been taught how to listen properly! It is always assumed that if you can hear, you can listen. Any wife will happily tell you that's not necessarily true!

BJJ Tips: Nova Uniao Black Belt Robson Moura Advises White and Brown Belts

Caleb and Dan of the Fightworks Podcast have been busy lately and not able to produce the weekly Brazilian Jiu Jitsu show. In my search to update my BJJ / Grappling / martial arts knowledge, I've been looking around iTunes for audio material to listen to while I'm on the train to and from work but also to serve as background to my 5-a-week gym visits. I was lucky enough to stumble upon a number of interviews with none less than 7 time world BJJ champion and Nova Uniao black belt Mr Robson Moura.

In the first podcast, Robson talks about, amongst other topics, what he feels BJJ white and brown belts should be focusing their training on respectively. Not every successful competitor makes for a good teacher but I must say judging by Robson's responses I'm very impressed.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Tips: Balancing Control and Mobility

Put a basketball on the ground. On it put:

A. A plank of wood.
B. A wet towel*.

Sometimes in BJJ / Grappling you need to be the plank of wood (projecting gravity through a small contact area with them which frees your limbs for mobility and attack) and sometimes you need to be the wet towel (maximizing friction, minimizing your own efforts, unifying both masses into one). Leverage hunters will master the plank version (constant pressure from the side control, half guard and mount top which can be tiring for both) and muscle-heads the wet towel version (constant closeness, perfect tight control but don't dare attack fearing the well-timed escape).

High quality Brazilian Jiu Jitsu players I've rolled with fluidly switch between the two almost without working up a sweat. It's not that they smother the submission out of you, which is still a valid grappling strategy, but rather the submission seems to come when you least expect it. They don't chuck you out of the frying pan into the fire. You walk into it voluntarily. That's BJJ.

*The Wet-towel analogy came to me from an excellent Roy Harris article on using Space in BJJ.

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Finishing Armbars from Guard in BJJ / Grappling

One thought I always keep in the background when I'm rolling / drilling is: is this the most efficient way to do what I'm doing? While that certainly sounds nice, it can be interpreted in more than one way.

Am I using my whole body?
Am I using too much or too little muscle?
Am I using the right ones and only them?
Am I working 3-4 steps ahead or am I simply reacting to my partner?

And so on. I urge you to come up with a few of your own interpretations.

I was watching an old video, Arm-Locks, and Mr Harris showed a beautiful way to use your whole body and principles from weight lifting (the leg press to be exact) to finish the spinning armbar from guard against the stack. I share that with you here.

They've stacked you and hugged your head. Your back is not strong enough for your legs to push their weight away from you, but your hands are not being utilised

Use both hands on your knees to help you with the difficult first couple of inches. Utilise a popping motion to help push their weight off you.

From there you have a choice of straight-armbarring the near-side arm by pressing down the elbow or just going back to your original armbar on the far arm (with or without throwing them on their back)

Where else in BJJ / Grappling are you leaving a hand or a foot (or a hip or a shoulder or even your head) without use?
Oh, don't forget to visit the Crazy-Ass BJJ Gi Design Challenge Blog and submit your fab designs! Over 1200 visitors can't be wrong.

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The Quickest Way To Improve Your BJJ / Grappling

On Friday I had my first private BJJ session with a new client. These are always very exciting for me because I'm always working on new ways to improve my teaching curriculum and methods but most importantly because I get to spend quality time doing something I love with someone who's obviously very keen on the same topic: getting better at Brazilian Jiu Jitstu.

As with every first session of the introduction pack, we spend a few minutes talking before the session to establish background in BJJ / Grappling but also general athletic background and time they can realistically dedicate to training. We follow this with a 5 minute slow roll where I'm mainly working out the client's energy and pressures. At this stage, I'm not really interested in what they can do from, for example, guard, but rather in HOW they play guard. That's where I see my contribution to be useful. Not in feeding someone new techniques, but rather in giving their existing BJJ game an M.O.T. test!

Naturally, what I discover in those first 5 minutes can vary depending on whom I rolling with but the one most common denominator is often commitment. Roy Harris talks about using your attributes to FUEL your techniques. I like thinking in terms of commitment: Commitment to the position. Commitment to the transition or sweep. Commitment to the armbar, choke or leg lock. Of course, I'm not talking about forcing your way thru muscular strength or speed or power. I'm talking about committing your directional energy and weight and sensitivity. Applying yourself wholly to each and every move. The quickest way to improve your BJJ / grappling experience is to commit your full and undivided attention to it.

Are you playing guard? Don't let your partner settle in your guard. Move their weight around. Deny them their posture or base and watch them give you the armbars, chokes and sweeps.

Are you on side control top? Let them carry your weight. Free your hands and use sensitivity and the outside of your knee to monitor their guard retrieval attempts. Don't just grab hold and squeeze, a little like an ostrich with its head in the sand, but rather apply yourself to what you are doing! Keep you jiu jitsu alive by staying committed.


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Invisible BJJ Details: Tips on the Palm Up Palm Down Cross Collar Choke

I covered for Martyn last night, coaching both the Fundamentals and Advanced BJJ sessions. I had planned the first to evolve around the art of getting a deep cross collar grip and the options that that can present (chokes, armbar, back take...etc.) and the second session around preventing stalling in a competition scenario. The second session was hard physically. Very hard, actually. One of our blue belts is competing at the Gracie Invitational this weekend and I had designed that session with him in mind, but I will get back to that in another post.

The first session covered details that you don’t usually see and it was inspired by a quote from John Will’s blog: “Notice what no one else notices and you’ll know what no one else knows.”

There are very few secret moves in BJJ / Grappling nowadays. The real secret is and will always be in your application of the moves and your commitment to the level of detail. The Cross Choke from guard is a great example because when done correctly (with three rotations/shrimp movements and the correct wrist action) it will go on so fast, you’ll tap before you even realise you’re tapping. When done with any less than 100% commitment to the technique, it can still work (of course it can – it’s a choke and even a heavy shoulder bag can choke you!) but it will need a lot of muscle and much longer to set in.

It took me at least 20 minutes of repetitions to convince the whole group of exactly how deep I wanted the first hand needs to go into the collar. I mention that for two reasons:

1. They all saw me demonstrate the move a number of times and they all understood what I was saying, but they had probably seen the move so many times before that their eyes were on autopilot. I had to go around to each training pair and say: “Good. Now push that hand at least 2 more inches in. Crunch up and push that hand in and behind their neck”

2. I don’t remember this level of detail being shown to me in a BJJ / Grappling class. If it was, it wasn’t afforded the time it needed to sink into my slow brain. I had to re-learn this choke by rewinding matches and digging into lots of DVDs until I found it and I’m sure that this is the situation for most players.

The way BJJ / Grappling classes are taught at most schools nowadays*, everybody wants at least 3-4 moves from the instructor or they tell you that the class was boring. Well I can put my hand on heart and tell you that when we rolled in the second hour, every single one of those white and blue belts had a much deeper** and more threatening Cross Collar Choke. They learnt something so well that they could apply it successfully in the same day.

Look for the invisible detail. When you find it, drill it against progressive resistance. That’s the easiest and fastest way to gain a deeper understanding of the BJJ / Grappling game.


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*Carlos Valente, 6th degree black belt under Rickson Gracie, talked about this in a great interview on the Fightworks Podcast back in 2006.



**Stephan Kesting lays down the law on deep collar grips in this excellent and concise article.

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Passing The Open Guard. Pit Stops, Awareness and the 3P

I watched some old-ish footage of a Joe Moreira and Roy Harris seminar on open-guard passing during this Easter break just gone.

Joe Moreira wasn't really showing any particular techniques that I wasn't familiar with which was a bit odd, mainly because I have this image in my head of him showing 12 ways to drink a glass of pineapple juice! (After all, the man released a book with over 100 techniques just from Side Control!) What he did instead was something much, much more valuable.

He gave his take on the 3P model. He never called it that but hey...pineapple juice is pineapple juice no matter what else you call it. What he did was:

1. Got rid of and constantly fought against any meaningful contact or pressure exerted by the guard-player on him and instead established his own meaningful grips (posture) and
2. He fully turned on the pressure. Pressure pressure pressure! Now for those of you who haven't seen what Mr Moreira looks like, he's not a big man by any measures, but once he had the postures and grips he wanted, he was in the zone. The pit-bull zone! Pressure pressure pressure! I swear at one point it looked like he was going to fall out of the TV screen! That would've been awkward. "Hey Joe. How's it hangin'? Pineapple juice?"
3. The third P- the possibilities- kind of took care of themselves. I mean you can either pass over, under or around the leg(s). Which one ends up depending on what the poor guard player “gives” you.

Yesterday, I taught a private session on passing. I showed 2 techniques (the double under and the bull pass) and entry to a good pit stop (See my drawing above) and we spent a lot of time working on the necessary awareness to clear any obstacles (hands, hooks, knees...etc.) and Pressure pressure pressure! It was emotional.

Now despite all that, why did I still show two techniques? Not because these specific two are the be-all-end-all of passing and not because they are my favourites, but simply because they served as good demonstrations of the principles.

And the pit stop? Well, it’s all in the pit stop baby!

Oh by the way, Cane did an excellent piece on Guard passing. Highly recommended reading!

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